When Purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. Dr Myles Munroe.

To reconnect, train, equip, inspire and empower men and women for successful Godly living. Done through image building, identity, purpose and vision based Ministry. Raising individuals who will realize the significance of his or her individuality. Gain a positive picture of his or her God given destiny resulting in self –discovery and a maximized life for Kingdom advancement in the home, community, society, nation and the world.

Inflexibility is one of the worst human failings. You can learn to check impetuosity/ rashness / impulsiveness over come fear with confidence and laziness with discipline. But rigidity of mind there is no antidote. It carries the seeds of its own destruction – Anonymous.

Teamwork and Rigidity

Teamwork and personal rigidity just don’t mix. If you want to work well with others and be a good team player, you have to be willing to adapt yourself to your team.

Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter observed, “The individuals who will succeed and flourish will also be masters of change: adept at reorienting their own and others’ activities in untried directions to bring about higher levels of achievement.”

Team players who exhibit adaptability have certain characteristics. Adaptable people are . . .

1.Teachable

Diana Nyad said, “I am willing to put myself through anything; temporary pain or discomfort means nothing to me as long as I can see that the experience will take me to a new level. I am interested in the unknown, and the only path to the unknown is through breaking barriers.”

Adaptable people always place a high priority on breaking new ground. They are highly teachable.

Look at music mogul Quincy Jones and you see someone who is always learning. His belief is that if a person works hard and becomes highly skilled in one area, he can transfer that ability to new endeavors. That approach can work for anyone who’s teachable. On the other hand, unteachable people have a difficult time with change, and as a result they never adapt well.

2.Emotionally Secure

Another characteristic of adaptable people is security. People who are not emotionally secure see almost everything as a challenge or a threat. They meet with rigidity or suspicion the addition of another talented person to the team, an alteration in their position or title, or a change in the way things are done. But secure people aren’t made nervous by change itself. They evaluate a new situation or a change in their responsibilities based on its merit.

“A person’s age can be determined by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea.” — QUINCY JONES”

3.Creative

Creativity is another quality you find in adaptable people. When difficult times come, they find a way. Quincy Jones remarked,

There’s an expression that says a person’s age can be determined by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea. Somebody might say, “Let’s try it this new way.” You can actually see the pain. These people will grab their heads. It physically hurts to think of doing something different. The ones who don’t react with fear are the really creative people. “Let’s try it,” they’ll say. “Let’s go there even if we blow it.” Creativity fosters adaptability.

4.Service Minded

People who are focused on themselves are less likely to make changes for the team than people focused on serving others. Educator and college president Horace Mann stated, “Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one’s self.” If your goal is to serve the team, adapting to accomplish that goal isn’t difficult.”

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not bend out of shape neither will they break.

From time to time I can get really distracted. The most routine things seem to be so interesting, right when I should be doing the needful.

It seems to occur most when I’ve got some deadline to meet, a message to prepare, or writing and putting together a newsletter. I know I have limited time, I have set tasks, and I know what I need to achieve, but distraction sets in.

For instance, I may sit down and open up my laptop. Then it strikes, the sudden urge to check Facebook.

After a few minutes of replying to those “urgent” messages and posts, which weren’t urgent a few minutes ago, I move on to those very pressing email messages.
Very important stuff…. not really. Not important at all, they’re just distractions.

After what seems like a few minutes, could actually be an hour or so, I finally get up, go to the kitchen and make a cup of Japanese green tea. As the water boils I think to myself about all I’ve achieved. Utterly deceiving myself.

I know the real task is yet to be completed and that the deadline is looming.

Through all the distractions I forget what’s crucial. I overlook what I set out to do initially.

I start with a clear goal. I know what I need to get done.

I begin with one thing in mind, but end up doing many others. And I know when I’m being distracted, but I senselessly go ahead and travel off course anyways.

Now that’s slack and stupid!

There was a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche. You’ve probably heard of him. He said a lot of things that you and I as Christians wouldn’t agree with.I recently read one of his quotes that clung to me, it’s very relevant to our Christian commission. He said this;

The most basic form of human stupidity is forgetting what we are trying to accomplish.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

Indeed, that’s me. I can be that guy. Like I said earlier, almost on a daily basis I can get distracted and forget what I’m trying to accomplish.

I wonder though, if there’s a greater undercurrent at play. I wonder if we are all regularly forgetting the most important of tasks?

Jesus disciples were clearly sent out to evangelize, to spread the Gospel and to make Christ like followers. We Christians have that task to achieve. We have been commissioned to accomplish a command. As we all know, Matthew 28:18-20 says:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Since those first disciples were commissioned, the task hasn’t changed. What we are striving to achieve is exactly the same. So my challenge is this – as Christ’s disciples now – have we disregarded what we’re trying to accomplish?

We go about our daily lives and we’re frequently doing good things. We’re building great careers, and adorable families. Many of us are even serving in our local Churches. We give time and money to help others.

But I wonder if we’re leaving the real task, the actual thing we’re meant to be accomplishing, to a select few? I wonder if we’ve subtly left evangelism and sharing of the Gospel to the Pastors and leaders in our Churches?

If you, or I were Nietzsche, we’d call that stupidity at its best, because more often than not, we totally forget what we’re trying to accomplish.

We’d like the world to know the love, forgiveness and grace of our omnipotent redeemer – In order for this to physically manifest we need to stay on track with our mission – We need to intentionally pursue the task at hand.

I dare you, and as I write I’m challenging myself also,shake off the distractions and zoom in on the real game. Let’s take ownership of Christ’s last command and make it our first priority by declaring His goodness wherever we are.

Let’s appreciate that we were once lost, but now we are found because someone took the time to share the gospel with us. Never entertain the allure of distraction, even by good things, especially when the all too important deadline is looming.

We know what we’re out to accomplish, and we know what’s required of us, so let’s get it done!